Yesterday we witnessed another senseless act of terrorism on the streets of London. We are told that the perpetrators of these atrocities do this in the belief that the killing of innocents and an attack on the symbols of our freedoms and democracies will eventually coerce us into abandoning our lifestyles and system of government in favour some other alien belief system. Given that throughout history this approach has never seemed to have worked why do these small fanatical groups keep on trying such an obviously failed tactic?
While I could just possibly understand how an individual could convince themselves that being a martyr to their cause could elicit sympathy for it, I am having trouble figuring out how someone else can radicalise a person to the point where they think that wreaking havoc and visiting carnage and destruction on innocent civilians will bring about change? I suppose though that if we really want to understand how people go about radicalising and recruiting bombers and murderers then perhaps we need to ask someone with experience of doing this how they go about it.Knowing your enemy is the best way of defeating them.
Sadly, with the very recent demise of Martin McGuinness, we have missed a golden opportunity of maybe getting inside the head of a full on bloody handed terrorist general who has sent out agents to kill and maim in the name of a cause. However, perhaps we could persuade, for a very large fee of course, the war criminal Tony B Liar to speak with his friend Gerry Addams who, based on his not inconsiderable experience, would I'm sure have some valuable tips, trick and insights he could impart? Actually, given that it could be argued that Tony B is largely to blame for the circumstances that have unleashed the dogs of war in the Middle East and brought about the terrorist plague the world now has to endure, maybe he could be persuaded to waive the fee? Okay, maybe not.
In the meantime let's continue to send out the message that even as we mourn our dead we strengthen our resolve to continue with our lives as normal and let our motto be: Terrorism?: No Fear, No Surrender!
